My weapon is bigger than yours

A USA Today story says “air travelers may soon be spared the annoyance of airline pilots cutting in front of them at security checkpoints.” Great, although I can’t remember that ever happening in my flying experience. And even so, if the pilot happens to be flying my plane, I want him/her calm and happy, so go right on ahead, sir/ma’am.

But the calm and happy part kind of became the point of the story. The Transportation Security Administration is testing a new program where pilots get checked separately — only for proper i.d. No metal detectors, no searches, nada. I’m not suggesting any of the 75,000 pilots around the country would try to carry aboard their favorite guns, knives or RPGs just because they can. But the Association of Flight Attendants says they’d rather have everyone screened before boarding, including their colleagues driving the ship.

Here’s the best part of the story, a quote from Capt. John Prater of the Air Line Pilots Association:

Prater said searching pilots for weapons isn’t necessary because “pilots are already in the cockpit. They don’t need anything else with them” to destroy an airplane.